Plat Du Jour Bistro at The Wenham Tea House — Restaurant in Peabody

It took a couple of days because of work stuff, but I wanted to make sure you all knew about Plat Du Jour Bistro on Wednesday nights. My husband and I went on Wednesday because their special is prime rib - and it's his fave. I just wanted go because I love to support a local business that is getting some great reviews!

What a cool story of how the oldest tea house in the country became a French bistro! And wow, we are all lucky it did!

I told people that I was going to the Wenham Tea House for dinner. They said, where? Where is that? And a tea house for dinner? Yes!!

We started with some appetizers - stuffed mushrooms special for me and clam chowder for him. The mushrooms were outstanding, and while chowder was a little thinner than he usually likes, it had so many fresh clams! My husband is a bit of a prime rib snob, and this one did not disappoint! He said it was cooked to perfection and seasoned nicely. He will definitely be back. I got the the seared scallops with pea and asparagus risotto - it was amazing! Some chile oil drizzled on the dish gave it just a touch of heat that brought it all together.

We did have some wine with dinner, but we were too full for dessert. We opted for an after dinner cocktail instead, and for all you espresso martini fans, this restaurant has the best one around! It's dark and you can smell the coffee. It's served with a side of Bailey's whipped cream and some beans for those that like it on the lighter side.

The service from our server Sydney was excellent, and as I watched the other server, proprietor, chef, hostess and bartender through our dinner, they were all amazing.

The atmosphere is warm and inviting and the white table cloths are both classy and classic.

And of course, the restaurant overlooks a super cute courtyard with tables for al fresco dining. Our experience was incredible, especially for a guy that doesn't like to travel outside his comfort zone.

Thank you for a...

We enjoyed a delicious dinner here on a recent weekday evening. Coming upon the restaurant at night, it wasn't well lit and it wasn't clear where parking was. We parked in a small lot next to the building, but many cars parked on the street right in front. We went down a darkened pathway to the front door, open the door and the small bar is right as you come in. We were warmly greeted and led into a half-full dining room. Elegant without being over-decorated, the interior is fine but nothing to write home about.

My wife came for the lamb shank, which was on the menu on their website. But they had changed their menu and no longer offered it. However, after expressing our disappointment to our server, the chef had one remaining from the previous menu and happily agreed to make it for her. I ordered the Dover sole.

The longest wait of the night was for our cocktails, unfortunately. They took over 10 minutes to arrive, which is a long wait after you've put your order in and just have water. Delicious warm homemade bread was also brought (faster than the cocktails).

The server was friendly and attentive, but she was the only one in the dining room, so there were times we had to wait a bit.

The food was excellent, and isn't that the reason you go out to eat in the first place? The lamb shank was so tender, perfectly cooked, and delicious. I had a bite and agreed with the assessment of my wife -- one of the best lamb shanks we've had. My Dover sole was also cooked perfectly (not overdone, as is so often the case), with mashed and green beans. Portion size was generous as we both had to take home leftovers.

We had the profiteroles -- filling was ice cream -- for dessert, as everyone else in the restaurant seemed to be ordering them. They were good, but a bit...

They sent me a survey today, the day after our tea, and the fact that the survey doesn't even list Afternoon Tea as one of the options should tell you a lot about what's going on here. They're not taking it seriously. My daughter and I had a lovely tea service in 2022, with very fond memories and gorgeous photo. Sadly, a year after Plat du Jour has taken over, it is simply not as good of an overall experience. Strange food choices like Italian wedding meatball soup. Very dry bread on the little sandwiches and almond croissants. No cream bun or strawberry jam in sight. No more chocolate mousse, either. A lot of tan dry food. The hostess was great and went above and beyond since our server never came over. Wouldn't go back as it no longer feels like a genuine afternoon tea experience. (Yes, my parents are both from England. Yes, I've had many an afternoon tea, and this wasn't it.) The Paris blend tea and blueberry green tea were both very good. For $55 each, wouldn't...